Breech-loading single-barrel gun



Oct. 23, 1923'. 1,471,900

F.. LE FEVER BREECH LOADING SINGLE'BARREL GUN Original Filed Oct. 2l. 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lll VA S 9:1

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Oct. 2l

.iTroR/vcv Patented @et Z3, 1923.

FHQE.

FRANK LE FEVER, OF FULTON, NEYV YORK.

BREECH-L OADING SINGLE-BARREL GUN.

Application led October 21, 1919, Serial o. 332,249.

To all whom may cof/wem:

Be it known that 1, F RANK Ln FEVER, of Fulton, in the county or" Oswego, in the State oi New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Breech-Loading Single-Barrel Guns, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

rilhis invention relates to certain improvements in breech-loading guns of the singlebarrel type commonly known as trap guns.l in which the barrel and trame are movable one in relation to the other to permit the insertion and ejection of the cartridges and are held in their closed position by a suitable locking bolt.

rlhese guns are generally used by expert marksmen and therefore require the very best materials and most skilled workmanship in their construction, all of which necessarily increases the cost of manufacture and establishes a rela-tively high retail price, thereby greatly restricting the manufacture and sale.

Furthermore, the complicated mechanisms which usually enter into the construction of guns of this character require that t-hey be handled with the utmost care in order to keep them in perfect working condition and one or the main objects of my present invention is not only to materially reduce the cost of manufacture and retail, but also to produce a more sturdy and dependable gun than has heretofore been practised.

In other words, l have sought to increase the working eiliciency and durability and at the same time to simplify the construction and work of assembling, reducing the number of parts, which also materially reduces the weight of the completed gun.

@ne of the speciiic objects is to lock the barrel and trame at the breech with a wedging action of the locking bolt so that it may automatically take up the slight wea-r caused by repeated opening and closing of the gun at said breech.

Another specic object is to provide operating mechanism for the locking bolt with a toggle movement, one of the members et which is spring-pressed longitudinally and has an independent` oscillatory movement by which the locking bolt is held in its locking position under spring tension and is also automatically held in its unlocked or tripped position.

Renewed September 4, 1923.

Another object is to employ a similar vtoggle movement in the operation of the hammer.

A further specific object is to permit the cocking ot' the hammer by means of a sliding pawl on the barrel lug.

still further object is to control the operation oi the ejector in such manner that the cartridge containing the charge will be slightly withdrawn to permit its removal by hand when the gun is broken at the breech, and also to cause the blank cartridge to be wholly ejected from the barrel when the hammer is released for firing said cartridge.

Other objects and uses relating to specilic parts of the gun will be brought out in the following description.

1n the drawings:

Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view oi' a portion ot' a single-barrel breech-loading trap gun embodying the features ot my invention.

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken approximately in the plane of line 2--2, i `igure l7 showing more particularly the means for operating the locking bolt.

.Figure is a longitudinal sectional view of a. portion of the same gun from the opposite side from that shown in Figure 1.

Figure el. is a transverse vertical sectional view taken in the plane of line P-4, Figure 1.

F igure 5 is an end view of the breech fa'ce oi? the frame partly in section to show the locking bolt and guide therefor, the barrel being omitted.

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view taken in the plane of line 6 6, Figure 1.

Figure 'a' is a side elevation ot a portion .of the breech end of the barrel showing the adjacent portion of the trame in section together with the locking bolt for holding the trame and barrel in locked position.

Figure 8 is a. detail sectional view showing the means for holding the locking bolt in its tripped position.

As illustrated, this gun comprises a frame ---1- having a trigger plate -2-, a stock 3-, and a barrel -lhaving a` fore-end piece -5-. The frame -lis provided with a breech face --6- against which the adjacent end ot' the barrel is adapted to abut when closed and is also provided with an extension 7- projecting forwardly from the breech face -6-, the main body of the frame being chambered Jfrom the bottom upwardly and from the rear end forwardly to receive various operating parts hereinafter described, leaving the upper portion and sides integral with the main body while the lower side and rear end are closer by the trigger plate -2- which latter is held in place by screws -8- and constitutes part of the frame.

The frame -land stock -3- may be secured together end to end by any suitable fastening means, but preferably by means of a bolt -9- passing through a lengthwise opening lO- in the stock and engaged in a t-hreaded aperture -11- in the rear end of the trigger plate -2- which forms the rear wall of' the chamber; -1-.

The barrel -4- is hingedly mounted upon the extension -7- to swing vertically so that when closed its rear end will abut firmly against the breach face -6* of the frame l and for this purpose is provided on its under side with a lug -l2 movable in an opening l3- in said eX- tension and having its front end face provided with a semi-circular bearing lA- engaged with a pivotal pin -15- which is also mounted upon the extension 7-.

The front end face of this extension is concentric with the pivotal pin 15- and serves as a bearing for the rear end of the fore end piece -5- which is detachably secured tothe under side of the barrel in any well-known manner not necessary to herein illustrate or describe except that the mechanism by which it is locked to the barrel must be easily accessible for unlocking to permit the fore-end to be removed when it is desired to detach the barrel from the frame.

The rear end of the barrel is provided with a pair of similar lugs -16- disposed in parallel vertical planes at equa-l distances from opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the gun and extend rearwardly beyond the breech face -6-- into corresponding recesses or vertical slots in the frame elwhen the gun is closed for holding the adjacent portions of the frame and barrel against relative lateral movement and at the saine time affording means whereby said frame and barrel may be locked in their closed positions.

The rear ends of these lugs are provided with recesses 1T- which, when the gun is closed, register with a transverse bolt opening .18- for receiving a locking bolt -19- to hold said frame and barrel in their closed positions, the lower side of the locking bolt being provided with lengthwise inclined faces or cams 20- spaced to correspond to the spacing of the lugs and exerting a wedging pressure against the lower walls of the respective recesses to compensate for wear and to thereby firmly hold the frame and barrel in their closed positions. Y

'the means for operating the locking bolt -l9- comprises a lever -21- pivoted at to the-upper portion of the frame -l 'to swing laterally across the top of' aid frame and is provided with an arm secured thereto and engaging the under side of the upper portion or' the frame as shown in Tfigure l in such manner as to hold the lever 21M in its operative position and at the saine time serving as a part of the means for shifting the locking boltmlQ- transversely in its guide opening 1.8, said locking bolt and its guide being square in cross-section to hold the bolt against turning.

rlhe forward end of the arm "Q3- is engaged in groove or notch 24- in the under side of the locking bolt -lS- and its rear end is'provided with a lateral pro- `iection or flange 25- for cooperative engagement with a plunger 2"- which together with said arm constitutes what may be termed a toggle for operating the bolt -`-l9 The member -26- extends lengthwise of the gun, the forward end thereof being provided with relatively small spherical bearing 2T engaging in a corresponding soc-liet 28e in the pendant flange Q5- of; the arm -23-, the rear end of said plunger being engaged in an aperture 29 in the flange or post as -2- of the trigger plate -2-. A coil spring 30- encloses the shank of the plunger -26 and has one end engaged with the post --2- and its other end engaged with a shoulder H3lon the plunger for exert-ing torward pressure upon the pending flange 95h of the arm 2S- The guide-opening '-18- c-Xtends through the lefthand side face of the frame -l--, the opposite end boing closed thus permitting the bolt ---l9- to be moved through said open side when tripped to unlock the gun frame, said. bolt being movable in the opposite direction to lock these parts together.

The turning` connection between the rear end of the arm -2 and plunger -26- is normally at the left-hand side of a direct line between the axis of the pivot of the lever -Qland rear end bearing 2Q- of the plunger, so that the forward pressure of the spring upon the plunger may yieldingly hold the bolt 19- in its locked position thereby wedging thc cams 20- against their respective lugs i6- to compensate for wear and to thereby assure a firm locking of the connection between the barrel and iframe when the gun is closed.

l/Vhen the locking bolt 19- is withdrawn from its locking position by the operation of the lever 21- and its arm -23- against the action of the retracting spring `l0 and the gun is broken, said bolt and its operating means are temporarily held against returning by means of a trip-pin which is movable in the frame -linto and out of an aperture in the front end of the arm -23, as shown, in Fig. 8, and is provided with an offset end cf-e underlying the rear end of the barrel so that when said barrel is closed it will engage the offset end --aand thereby withdraw the pin -cfrom the arm -23 against the action of a retracting spring -bto allow the spring -30- to return the bolt -l9- tol its locking position.

When the locking bolt is withdrawn from its locking position one end thereof7 as for example, the right-hand end, is drawn beyond the corresponding lug -l6- at which time a slot 32- in the front face of the locking bolt 19" is registered with the recess for the other lug -l6- thus permitting both lugs to be rocked upwardly through the top of the frame when the gun is broken, the upper faces of said lugs being normally flush with the top face of the frame when the gun is closed.

A firing pin 33h is slidably mounted in a lengthwise opening -34 in the portion of the frame just back of the breech face -6- for firing the cartridge as c and is adapted to be forced to its firing position by a suitable hammer -35- which is pivoted at -36- to said frame and is provided with a forwardly projecting eXtension -37- adapted to be engaged by a cocking member 38- for cooking the hammer after firing when the gun is broken,

detent 39- constituting an integral part of a trigger -40- pivoted at 4lto the trigger plate h2- is adapted to engage a shoulder -42- on the under side of the hammer for holding the latter in its cocked position.

The means for forcing the hammer to its iii-ing position is somewhat similar tothat which operates the arm 23- of the lockg bolt -19- in that it consists of a longi- .iudinally movable plunger 43- having ts front end provided' with a spherical bearL cg face -4 4l engaging in a socket -45- iu the rear face of the hammer just above the horizontal plane of its pivot e36-j said plunger having its rear end engaged in a bearing- 46- in the rear portion of the trigger plate -2-- coiled spring 47- surrounds the shank of the plunger -43- and has one fend bearing against a shoulder on the trigger plate and its other end engaged with a shoulder 48- on the plunger so as to eXert forward pressure upon the portion of the hamzi'ier B5- above its pivot7 tending to force said hammer into engagement with the .firing pin The uppr rear portion of the hammer and the plunger 43- constitutes wliat may also be termed a toggle for operating the hammer when the latter is released by the tripping of the detent *3Q- through the medium of the trigger -40, said detent and trigger being forced to their holding positions by a spring -49-- The cooking member *3S* consists of a pawl slidable forwardly and rearwardly in a suitable recess 50m in the lower side of the lug` -l2- on the barrel lso that its rear end underlies the forward end of the l annier extension -37 which extension, when the hammer is moved to its firing position, lies closely adjacent to the upper face of the rear end of the pawl but when cocked and the gun closed is spaced a `utlicient distance above said pawl to permit the gun to be broken without in any way interfering with the cocked position of the hammer.

ln order that the cooking member 3S- may be positively held against releasing its engagement with the extension -37- of the hammer during the cooking operation in breaking the gun, its forward end is yieldingly held by the tension of a spring -5l against an abutment -52- on the rear end of the fore-end piece -5-, said spring being interposed between suitable shoulders on the lug 12- and pawl -38--, as shown more clearly in Figure l.

The lower portion of the lug -l2 and substantially fills the open owcr side of the chamber -l3` the lower i es thereof being substantially flush with t f the frame -land fore-end piece the pawl l, o. --owhen the gun is closed, the front end of the pawl being movable in an upwardly and rearwardly inclined guide-way 53 formed in the rear wall of the chamber -l3i` and serving to aid the spring 5lin returning the pawl to its normal position during the closing of the gun.

The ejector mechanism comprises a pair of parallel lengthwise rods or bars -55 --55- movable in corresponding lengthwise openings or ways w-56- in the lower portion of the rear end of the barrel Afand are secured at their forward ends to a head 5T- which normally fits in a correspending recess in the adjacent portion of the barrel and is provided with a shoulder -58- for engaging the end of the cartridge c to expel said shell from the barrel as the bars 55H and -55- are moved rearwardly in a manner presently described.

Suitable provision is made for gradual] oncrating the ejector bars to partially withdraw the loaded or unired cartridge from thel barrel, sufficient to permit it to be removed by hand when the gun is broken and th e har also tor torcibly ejac-ting the lired cartridge clear from the barrel when the gun is brote-n with. the hammer in its tired position,

For these purposes is provided a longitudinally movable driving member 60%. slidably inonntcd upon a rod -5lwhich5 in turn? is secured to roelring men'iber -62 so that the vod 6lwith the driving member --60-d 'thereon may in ove about the pivotal aiis et the rocking' member M62-, said driving member being` provided with a shonlder for engaging' the rear end the Atore-end piece J3- under the pressure ot a spring` G4- The rear end ot the driving member GO- constitutes an al itincnt normally alined with and close proimity to the viront end ot the bar while the rear end ot rod travels in close proximity to the c1 front e, d ot the frame extension H- as the jiin is ,1 jni jmj t1 j i T `)pence ano o occtf, ,ne roaring meiiibei --GZ- being pivoted at QL- to the metal shank oit the 'toreend piece a3- and together with the rod -6l.- and driving` member -60- are removable with said toreend piece.

The spring Gilsurrounds portion oi: the bar #6land ends against the member -SQ and driving member GOM respectively, th reb: non mally exerting rearward pressure upon the driving member GO- while the rear end ot said driving member is spring-pressed against the torward end ot the ejector rod -55-- The head H57 ot the ejector rod rides against the bre J,ch tace (3- ot the trame when the gun is closed, thereby ttorclng said ejector rod rearwardly against. the rear end oi"- the driving member -SO- against the action ot the retracting spring -tllthereby normally holding the shoulder 53- a short distance away from its companion shoulder G9/- on the tore-end piece.

lt therefore follows that when the gun is broken, thereby withdrawing the breech tace of the barrel 'from the breech tace ot the trame, the spring actuated driving member -O- will exert a rearward driving torce upon the ejector bar 55- and the cartridge engaged thereby until the shoulder G3- engages the shoulder -63- at which time the cartridge will have been withdrawn from the barrel a su'liicient distance to .permit it to be engaged and removed by hand, it being understood that when the gun is closed the head oit the ejector bar will ride against the breech 'jace J5- thereby forcing said bar forwardly and returning the driving member -60- to its normal position against the action ot the spring --64-.

This driving member -60- is also employed to forcibly eject the cartridge blank the same has been fired by the action et t :c hammer and to this end l have provided Aother sliding' bar or rod 65 which is movable longitudinally in a guideway-G- in the extension T- or" the trame 4iand has its rear end provided with a recess 67- tor receiving a pin or lng -GS- on the ham fer or its pin 36 ends of said recess constituting shoulders by which the rod is driven torwardly or returned the hammer is released or cocked the 'trent end ol' the rod G5H4 being n nally coincident with, or slightly at the of the curved front tace ot the extensioi'i -7- where it is out ot 'the path oit movement ot the rear end ot the rod -"lwhen the gun is broken or taken apart and the hammer in its cocked position.

New, it the hammer released and forced to tiring position, the rod -65- will be driven 'forwardly to cause its iront end to protrude slightly beyond the cuiwed 'front t'ace oic the extension T- and into the path of moi/ement of the rear end ot the rod Glsaid forward end of the rod 65-i being di josed near the lower side oit the Yframe ot the gun some distance from the rod when the gun is closed, so that when it is opened the rod 6lwill be carried down across the curved front face ot the extension -7-- until the cartridge in the breech oit the barrel is clear trom the top ot the trame and at about this time the rear end oil the rod -5lwill have engaged the forwardly protruding end ot the rod -65- which engagement will then trip the driving member -60- from holding engagement with the shoulder Y-G- and allow the spring G4- to instantly drive the member 6G- and ejector rod 5:3F rearwardly to eject the cartridge blank with suflicient torce to remove it entirely Yfrom the barrel.

The gun is then closed with or without loaded cartridge therein. thereby causing the head -57 to ride against the breecn ace -6- by which operation the ejector bar to their normal positions against the action or the spring 6dit being understood that the point ot engagement ot the member GOis in a plane below the pivot 6W-4 which causes the shoulder -63- to assume a posit-ion ready for engagement. with the shoulder 63 when the gun is broken with the hammer cocked.

lWhat l claim is:

l. The combination with the trame and bz rrel oi? a breech-loading gun, oi? means 'for locking and releasing the barrel and traine in and trom their closed positions. said nieans comprising a locking bolt slidable transversely ot and npon the trame, a lever pivoted to the trame and having one end engaged with the bolt for shitting the same,

a plunger estendinpr lengthwise of the gun and having one end bearing upon the frame and its opposite end spring-pressed into engagement with said lever. to 'force the bolt to its locking position` and moan-s controlled b v the opening` of the eff for holding the locking bolt from its locking* position.

Q'. in a singlebarrel breeclifloading gun, a pair of lugs on the breech end oi the barrel at opposite sides of the axis thereof and movable. into and out or" rece in the breech face 'of the frame and having their upper edffes disposed in a plane between the upper fare oi' the barrel and said axis to 'form abutments, a locking bolt movable transversely of and within the frame across both oic the recesses in the breech face thereof and provided with a pair of cam faces on its lower side spaced a distance apart correspending.;` to the spacing of said lugs and recesses and movable into and out of engage ment with the abntments on the upper edges or", said lugs t'or tighteninnand releasingr the barrel in and from its closed position, said locking bolt having one end movable into and out of registration with one of the lugs and pro l"ided with an upright slot movable into and out of registration with the other for locking and releasing' the barrel in and from its closed position and means `for operating' the locking bolt.

8. In a single-barrel breech-loading gun, a pair of lugs on the breech end of the barrel at opposite sides of the axis thereof and movable into and out of recesses in the breech face oiI the frame and having their upper edges disposed in a plane between the upper face of the barrel and said axis to form abntments, a locking bolt movable 'transversely of and within the frame across both of the recesses in the breech face thereof and provided with a pair of cam faces on its lower side spaced a distance apart corresponding to the spacing of said lugs and recesses and movable into and out of engagement with the abntments on the upper edges of said lugs for tightening! and releasing the barrel in and from its closed position, said locking bolt having one end movable into and ont of registration with one oi: the lugs and provided with an 11pright slot movable into and out ot registration with the other lng;r for locking' and releasing` the barrel in and from its closed position, a hand lever pivoted on the 'frame and provided with a forwardly projecting extension engaging in a recess in the under side of the locking bolt for shifting said locking' bolt in reverse directions, and means 'for locking the bolt in its unlocked position and having a portion thereof spring pressed into the path of movement of the barrel to be engaged thereb;7 when the barrel is closed for withdrawing said means from its bolt holding position.

ln witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 7th day of October, 1919.

FRANK LE FEVER.

Witnesses:

H. E. CHASE, MARGARET L. S'roUP. 

